


The World is not Black and White: Book 2

by BritPrus8



Series: Grey Harry Potter Verse [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Bisexual Male Character, Friends to Lovers, Harry Potter Has a Sibling, Illegitimacy, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Lesbian Character, Morally Ambiguous Character, Morally Grey Harry Potter, Multi, Politics, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), References to Depression, The Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter) is Terrible
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24443896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BritPrus8/pseuds/BritPrus8
Summary: Tales of pureblood culture, wizarding politics and a world of grey through the eyes of Roderick Lestrange, son of Rodolphus and Bellatrix, and Rosetta (Rose) Evans the bastard daughter of Lily and Severus.Nobody is perfect in this fic.In this book-the philosophers stone.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lily Evans Potter/Severus Snape, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Grey Harry Potter Verse [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612672
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Harry's Letter

24 July 1991

Harry James Potter lay in his bed staring up at the spider he was currently sharing a cupboard with. You see, while Harry lived in a three-bedroom house in Little Whinging, Surrey with his Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley the third bedroom wasn’t, and never would be, his. No, the third bedroom belonged to his Aunt Rose though she didn’t live with them. You see on the day that he came to live with his Aunt and Uncle Auntie Rose had been taken away by freaks like him. The same freaks that had dropped him off. Despite how long it had been Aunt Petunia still kept the room clean and useable in case she ever came home. It was the one room that Harry wasn’t instructed to clean. After all, it would be an insult to Aunt Rose for her room to be cleaned by the freak who caused her disappearance. Harry was always reminded by Aunt Petunia how good and lovely Aunt Rose was.

Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by Dudley barrelling downstairs as usual. He stopped over Harry’s cupboard and jumped up and down. Obviously, he was louder than usual. Dudley had been pissed off at I’m ever since the snake incident on his birthday. Harry hadn’t meant to get rid of the glass wall, though he’d been chatting with snakes ever since he could remember, he was a freak after all. He could do freakish things. Aunt Petunia said that he’d be going to a school for freaks like him next year and that he wouldn’t be coming back except for the summer. Harry was both excited and nervous for that. These were the same people who took his Aunt Rose away after all, and she was only four. Who knew what they’d do to him? Harry was good at surviving though, so he figured he’ be alright.

Opening his cupboard door once he was sure that Dudley had past Harry went to the door to collect the post before he made a start on breakfast. Uncle Vernon liked to read the mail before he ate. As he sorted through the mail Harry came across a most peculiar letter. It was peculiar in a number of ways. Firstly, it was addressed to him. With Harry being such an outcast there was nobody to send him any letters. Secondly, the envelope was oddly coloured, it didn’t really look like a normal envelope. Finally, there was the seal stamped on the back of the envelope, sealing it shut. The seal was no coat of arms that Harry recognised, though granted he only knew the Queen’s coat of Arms and Prince Charles’ feathers. Oh, and the French fleur-de-lis from history class.

Looking at his letter Harry made his way down the hall to the kitchen-dining room. H handed Uncle Vernon his letters and placed his own on the counter.

“That yours boy? Hm??!” Uncle Vernon said, his pig face red

“Yes Sir. It says that its from a place called Hogwarts”

Vernon went pale at that.

“Finally. Open it up after you’ve served breakfast boy.” said Aunt Petunia

“Yes Ma’am”

Harry was doing fried egg on toast with baked beans today. He was rather good at cooking if he didn’t say so himself.

Harry served breakfast up and joined the rest of the household at the table.

While Uncle Vernon and Dudley ate like the pigs they were, Aunt Petunia barely touched the small plate that Harry had dished up for her. Aunt Petunia rarely ate much, but even for her this was unusual.

“We’ll take a trip into London next Saturday before we go on our Summer Holidays. We shall need to collect your things for that place after all boy.”

Dudley screwed his nose up “I don’t have to go do I mummy? Me and the lads are gonna hang out all next week”

“Of course, not poppet. We wouldn’t want to subject you to that after all Dudders.”

This would be interesting. A day trip with Aunt Petunia. Fun.

After he washed up their dishes Harry went to open up his letter.

The letter read that he was accepted into _“Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry”_. That wasn’t even the most freakish part of the letter. It addressed him as Lord Potter and said that they awaited his owl, expecting its arrival by the 31 July at the latest. Where on earth would he get/train an owl?

“It says that they expect me to send my reply by owl by the 31st Aunt Petunia. Where do I get one of them from? How do we send it otherwise?”

Aunt Petunia sighed long-sufferingly. “I suppose we’ll have to move up our trip to London to this Saturday. It’s rather late to be sending these out. How I’m expected to remember how to get into that freakish lane I can’t imagine. The trouble you’re causing me boy. Honestly.”

“Sorry Aunt Petunia.”

She huffed.

Harry went through his chores that day with a bit more of a bounce in his step. London was always pretty fun. Even if he would have to be around the people who took his Aunt away.


	2. The Hogwarts Express 1991-Rose

1 September 1991

As the 14-year-old Rosetta Evans sat in her compartment on the Hogwarts express alongside Joanne and Audrey she felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Rose had a feeling that this year would be even worse than her last, and not simply due to the extra workload!

Third year had seen her grow closer with Audrey as Joanne was constantly hanging over her sister Julia, who was now a Lower Third Year, aged 12. Joanne could be a teensy bit overprotective of her. Her friendship with Rod had grown more distant, however much she had tried. The fact that Audrey had started to study with her hadn’t helped matters. She had just grown so awkward around him since learning of his now-wife. Of course, Rose had long since come to terms that their relationship would never come to anything more than friendship but it had been difficult to see the pictures of Rod’s first-born Esme. And since the distancing of them last year Rose had tried to come to terms with the fact that, like most inter-house friendships, they wouldn’t last, even as friends. To make it worse, when she had told him which courses she was going to be taking for OWLs he had laughed at her. Just because she had decided to take divination as one of her electives.

Rose had a feeling that she was going to bloody well need that course. If only to help her find a bloody partner in life. If she were ever going to get married it would have to be either a muggle or a Weasley after all. There were so few Muggleborns or Half-Bloods in Hogwarts right now after all, at this point Rose half expected she’d end up as either some Pureblood’s mistress or a spinster witch. Speaking of Half-Bloods brought her back to her sense of dread. She didn’t know quite what it was but she had a terrible feeling that it might have to do with her half-blood, half-brother. Lord Potter.

Yes, this year, Harry Potter was coming to Hogwarts.

It seemed that the entire platform had been talking about it as she had boarded almost two hours earlier, well the few that were there. Looking out of the window Rose watched the world go by. The platform was incredibly busy. Looking about she witnessed the arrival of the Malfoy family who had come with their younger daughter to see the young heir off, soon after they’d left a herd of Weasley’s arrived, she wasn’t entirely sure if they were Branch or Main at first, then she spotted the notorious twins, Fred and George Weasley. Then, right after the last Weasley child entered the platform came a black haired, emerald-eyed, young boy. Rose quickly drew herself out of sight. Looking over at Joanne and Audrey she said quietly.

“He’s here.”

Joanne’s eyes widened. “My Lordly half-brother you mean?!”

Rose was yet to tell her that Harry was her half-brother too.

“Yes. He looks…like a Potter.”

Joanne went to look through the window before Audrey pulled her back.

“Jo!” she hissed “Ya know ye can nay be seen lookin at him! Tis almost as bad as talking to him!”

Joanne looked down guiltily. Everyone knew that bastards never looked at or spoke to their trueborn siblings if they weren’t first approached by them, particularly patrilineal bastards.

“I know. It’s just. He’s still my brother you know? I’ve never met him of course. But still.”

Rose drew a deep breath before “I understand. I’m a bastard too after all. I only have one half sibling. Not being able to know them is my greatest regret in life.”

“What!!???” Jo shrieked “Why haven’t you mentioned this before!”

Rose’s nerves very nearly got the best of her before she forced herself to whisper “ It never really came up in conversation.”

“Oh Hecate Rosie. Don’t ya think this’d be somthin we’d wanna know?” Audrey said

“Not really. I’m sorry if I hurt you guys.” Rose replied

“It’s fine. Just, don’t keep any more giant secrets like that from us again. Alright?” added Jo.

Thinking of her friendship with Rod Rose channelled her inner Slytherin and attempted to ignore her Hufflepuff nature as she lied.

“Of course not.”

Knowing that Harry would’ve certainly got onto the train by now Rose returned to her people washing, guilt drenching her insides. But how could she have told them she was friends (if only distantly) with Roderick fucking Lestrange?


	3. The Hogwarts Express 1991-Harry

1 September 1991

As Harry Potter made his way into King’ Cross with Aunt Petunia (who had begrudgingly decided to drop him off in lieu of darling Dudders) his nerves began to get the better of him. The station was absolutely heaving. His new owl Hedwig was completely covered by a blanket, but honestly the lack of security in the station was concerning to say the least. As they made their way through the gates and onto the platforms Harry grew absolutely bewildered as his Aunt stopped behind of a family of red-heads who appeared to be preparing to walk straight at a pillar. The plump woman at the back, who was holding the hand of a little girl turned around, as if sensing his Aunt’s glare.

The plump woman smiled and said “Oh are you for Hogwarts as well? Judging from your attire you must be muggles. Oh, how my husband will be jealous once I tell him of this. He’s quite the muggle enthusiast don’t you know? Loves studying all of your little thingy-ma-bobs. Come, I’ll aide you through to the platform hmm? Fred, George, show the lovely Lady and her son how to get through. I would ask Percy but he’s already gone through. I half expect he’s gotten himself a girlfriend don’t you know.” She laughed at the end.

Harry hadn’t imagined that the wizards and witches would be so patronising. And saying that Harry was Aunt Petunia’s son! If looks could kill. As it was they did in fact require a bit of assistance it seemed, as Aunt Petunia accepted the patronising Lady’s help. Well either that or her manners prevented her from refusing. Aunt Petunia was very on top of her manners.

As the twins, Fred and George Harry assumed, prepared to run at the wall with their trolley’s like madmen the youngest boy approached Harry.

“Hi! My names Ronald. Ronald Weasley. You can call be Ron though. I’m an incoming first year too.” He held out his hand.

Harry took it “Henry. Henry Potter. Everyone calls me Harry though.”

“Henry Potter?! The Lord Potter?”

“Yes I suppose so. What of it?”

“It’s an honour Lord Potter. If ya don’t mind me askin’… have ya really got the…ya know.” He gestured towards his head.

Harry lifted up his bangs to display his odd birthmark. “This?”

“Cool.” Ron said in an odd tone of amazement. To be perfectly honest Harry had no clue why he was so amazed by some birthmark. Must be a wizarding thing.

Ron’s Mum called out then from the incredibly awkward conversation she was having with Aunt Petunia if his Aunt’s tight-lipped smile was anything to go by.

“Come along now boys, we must get going!”

“Coming Mum!”

Walking through a solid brick wall was an experience in and of itself. Seeing all of the witches and wizards around him and the massive steam engine was something else entirely.

As Aunt Petunia sent him on his way with little fanfare, Ron was hugged goodbye by his mum. If Harry still had a mum, he wouldn’t have squirmed and complained so much. At least he hoped he wouldn’t.

He and Ron then got onto the train and began to search for a compartment. Eventually near the end of the first year’s carriage they found an empty one. After getting themselves settled they got to chatting. They chatted about all sorts of things before the trolley lady turned up with her cart-load of sweets. Mainly they focused on Hogwarts and magic. Harry learnt about how different Houses were sorted and how some were, apparently, better than others. AAs they dug into the mound of chocolate and sweets that Harry had bought using the money that he’d gotten from his trust fund in the Wizarding bank, harry decided that he had to ask the question that had been dwelling on his mind since before they even entered the platform. He wasn’t sure how much he’d regret it but Harry found that he had to ask.

“Hey Ron.”

Ron answered with a mouthful of Jam sandwiches. “Yeah?” (Or a noise which vaguely resembled the word)

“Why were you so amazed by my birthmark?”

Ron thankfully gulped the remainder of the sandwich down before he answered.

“Birthmark? That ain’t no birthmark Harry. It’s a scar. You know, from the night your parents died and you defeated You-Know-Who?”

Well that was a terrible mixture of shocking revelations which of course brought new questions.

“It is? Who’s ‘You-Know-Who’?”

“You mean you don’t know?”

Harry shook his head.

“You-Know-Who was this super evil wizard, a Slytherin of course, who initiated a civil war against the ministry with his Death eaters. They killed so many people. Especially Half-Bloods and Muggleborns. They only thought that Purebloods were worth anything. It was messed up!”

“What was his name?”

“Nobody says it. Apparently during the war, he placed a Taboo on it so that if anyone uttered it, he and his followers would immediately know where they were.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

Well those were some revelations.


	4. Hermione's Entry to the Wizarding World

1 September 1991

Hermione Granger had never fit in. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been different from all her nursery and class mates. The nerd, the one with the untameable curls and buck teeth. The freak. She didn’t fit in and never thought that she ever would. So, when Professor McGonagall came to her house in late July bringing news of her being a witch Hermione was over the moon. That very night after the professor left, she had come up with so many questions that she wished to ask the woman when she returned for their trip to the Wizarding part of the UK that she had filled up over 6 pages of A4. Finally, she had had the hope that she would finally fit in somewhere. Maybe she would even make a friend or two. Hermione had never had a proper friend before.

When they made the short trek into the heart of London on the 1st of August to get her supplies with the Professor Hermione had bombarded the woman with said questions before falling silent upon seeing the wall move before her to reveal Diagon Alley. If Hermione remembered correctly, she had squealed. Stepping foot into the magical world for the first time had felt akin to a homecoming, like magic itself was welcoming her with open arms.

~ _Flashback 1 August 1991_ ~

Diagon Alley was amazing, there were so many wizarding shops selling strange and wonderful things. There were over 100 witches and wizards (mainly witches) moving about doing their shopping, many accompanied by teenagers and children of all ages. The shops had moving signs and all seemed to be overloaded in colour. It was amazing. After stopping off at Gringotts Wizarding Bank to exchange their sterling for wizarding money (they even had different money!) the Professor took them all about the alley to pick up her school supplies. Hermione ended up with a 10¾" vine wood wand with a dragon heartstring core alongside her other supplies. She had to be physically dragged out of the bookshop by her parents though, but only with the promise that they would come back later in the week. Their last stop was at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions where she had to receive a fitting! Hermione had never been _fitted_ for clothes before. While she tried to hold herself still for the Witch’s instruments to magically measure, she looked over to the other boy who was in the shop currently. He was obviously from a wizarding family and the clothes that he was currently wearing looked terribly posh. He seemed to be her age and had silver-blonde hair to go along with silver eyes. Hermione saw this as her chance. Maybe this would be her first friend! Boys had always been nicer to her than other girls. Girls were absolutely malicious.

“Good Day! My name’s Hermione. I’m going to be a first year in September. Are you as well?”

The boy looked over at her and answered with an odd smile-smirk.

“I am indeed. The name’s Malfoy. Draco Lucius Malfoy. You have a very pretty name Miss.”

Hermione blushed. _Miss_. It seemed that wizarding society was terribly polite.

“Thank you, Mister Malfoy. Your name is very nice as well. After the constellation?”

“Indeed, it is a tradition of my Lady Mother’s family to name their children in the ways of the heavens”

My God this boy is posh.

“That’s such a lovely tradition. My family tends to favour classical Greek names.”

“That’s rather normal. Which House do you expect to be sorted into? I, obviously, will be a Slytherin. Like my Father, and his Father and all Malfoys that came before them.”

Oh dear. Hermione didn’t know terribly much about the Houses. Professor McGonagall was a Gryffindor and she was rather nice so maybe that? How she wished that she’d had time to read her new Hogwarts, a History book.

“I’m not too sure really.”

“Hmm. Well if you turn out to be a Slytherin you are welcome to join us, even if you are from an ordinary wizarding family.”

Ah. So not if she was a muggleborn then. Professor McGonagall had briefly told her about such wizards. Pureblood supremacists she called them.

“I’ll take that into consideration. Thank you.”

He nodded at her “Where are you going to after this then?”

“Well I have finished all of my required shopping so my family and I were planning on going to the ice cream shop before maybe going back to Flourish and Blotts. I so love books you see.”

He chuckled “You already have an owl then? Or cat I suppose.”

“Goodness no. I shan’t have the time with how busy I’ll be.”

Madam Malkin came up to Draco then. “We’re all done now Young Master Malfoy. Lady Malfoy is here to pick you up now.”

Draco nodded at the older witch before turning back to Hermione.

“Well it was pleasant meeting you Miss Hermione. If you ask me, you’ll be a Ravenclaw. I suppose I shall see you on the train. That or at Hogwarts.”

“Yes! I shall see you then!” He walked away. Poshly.

If Hermione hadn’t been almost certain that her status as a Muggleborn would’ve changed the way he viewed her, she would’ve thought that she might’ve found a friend.

~back to the future~

Thinking of Draco brought her back to the current moment. She had bumped into him on the train, sitting with two…heavy boys their own age. He had invited her in and she had spent the first part of the ride sitting with them. The two other boys were rather stupid but Draco was intelligent and lovely. Well, at least until he had realised that she’d never told him her surname. After finding it out he had kicked her out of their compartment unceremoniously with a horrified face. He had called her a mudblood as well. Hermione wasn’t sure what the word meant but she figured that it couldn’t be anything good. Hermione had wandered into another compartment with tears in her eyes. One of the boys in there, a plump boy named Neville had invited her in while the only girl in the cabin (named Kellah Shacklebolt) consoled her. She was sitting with them now.

All of a sudden Neville let out a horrified gasp

“Oh no!”

Immediately worried Hermione asked

“What’s the matter!?”

“I’ve lost Trevor! My toad!”

….you had to be kidding.


	5. Halloween 1991

31 October 1991

Halloween was never enjoyable for Rose. It was when her mother had died after all. This year would likely prove to be no different. Looking about the spookily decorated Great Hall Rose spotted a number of familiar faces either enjoying the feast or looking just as sullen as she was. Roderick along with a number of the other elder Slytherin’s looked miserable. Considering the number whose families had been ruined by the Dark Lords demise that made sense. Thinking of Roderick drove her into a more saddened state. They hadn’t talked since coming back for the new year.

Moving on, Jo and Julia looked slightly less morose but still rather down, their father had died tonight of course. Jo still had some vague memories of James Potter’s visits to her mother apparently. Harry looked relatively happy all things considered. Of course, he wouldn’t remember either of his parents. So, Harry sat there in relative ease next to the youngest boy of the Main Line Weasleys, Ronald. They’d become fast friends over the past couple of months, cemented by Harry’s new position as a seeker (something that NONE of his half-sisters approved of it should be noted). All of the first years appeared to have settled in quite nicely, well, with the exception of the muggleborn girl ‘Granger’. Judging from the odd way Dad looked at the girl Rose suspected that her parentage wasn’t as muggle nor as light as was claimed. Her bookish nature and immense respect for authority didn’t do the poor girl any favours when it came to interacting with her classmates. Speaking of Granger, she didn’t appear to be at the table today.

Rose heard a high-pitched scream.

She snapped to attention but looking around no one else seemed to be concerned so she returned to her meal, nerves on edge.

Less than 5 minutes later it seemed that her fears had been validated as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Quirrell, a man who set all sorts of bad feelings off in her, came running into the Great Hall, doors banging behind him. Stopping just before the teacher’s table he looked almost straight at the Headmaster and said

"'Troll – in the dungeons – thought you ought to know.'" The so-called Defence Professor then proceeded to faint.

The Great Hall was then thrown into absolute madness. Younger years, as well as some 4th 5th and 6th years began screaming in terror.

The Headmaster stood up set a number of firecrackers off from his wand to gain their attention.

“Prefects,” he rumbled “lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!”

An elder Weasley, she believed this one was Percival, called them all to attention and began to herd them all, particularly the little firsties out of the hall. Looking around Rose saw that the same thing was occurring on both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. However, none of the Slytherins, however pale they were, moved a muscle. Rose’s eyes widened. That’s right. The Slytherin dormitories were located in the Dungeons. It appeared that Dumbledore was trying to command the House to go and that they weren’t listening. Rose fell to the back of the line so that she might overhear more.

Though quiet she managed to overhear Roderick’s words as he stood up and walked over from his seat near the middle of the table to face Dumbledore. Even at less than 17 years old Roderick managed to match the Headmaster’s 6 ft 0.

“While you may not like it Headmaster. I see no reason to lead my House into the very place where the danger apparently lies. House Slytherin will remain in the easy to defend Great Hall. We shan’t risk any traveling.”

_Damn Roderick. NO. Bad crush. Stop it._

Rose had the overwhelming urge to bite her lip. Why was he so cool? Her poor heart.

Turning back to follow her housemates back to Gryffindor dorms Rose noticed something. Harry wasn’t there. Neither was the young Weasley.

Oh Hecate.

Rose thanked the gods and goddesses above that she was able to track Harry.

Yes, she might have placed a tracking charm on Harry. Shut up.

….. where in Hogwarts _was_ he going???

Wherever her stupid little brother was heading it certainly wasn’t Gryffindor Tower.

Looking around for the teachers unfortunately Rose couldn’t see any, they must’ve all headed off to the dungeons already.

….

She was going to have to go after him, alone wasn’t she?

Bloody hell

Rose then proceeded to do the stupidest thing she’d ever done. She snuck away from the group during a crisis and followed the tracking spell she’d put on Harry. It may or may not have been a bit of Dark Blood Magic, only used by close relatives. She would neither confirm nor deny that.

As she found herself on the corridor leading to the girl’s toilet Rose grew more and more confused.

Well. At least until she heard the shriek. It was the same as earlier and the ensuing crashes turned her blood cold.

Rose ran towards the danger in a very Gryffindor way but for very Hufflepuff reasons, her wand drawn and braced for a fight with a probable troll. A fight she wouldn’t be able to win with her average magical core and limited spells.

Rose didn’t hesitate though and burst through the girl’s bathroom to a scene of complete chaos. Her little brother was standing in front of the Granger girl, trying to pull the poor girl who appeared to be frozen in terror up. The Weasley right in front of her by the door trying to distract a medium sized mountain troll. Rose thanked her lucky stars for the fifth-year jinx that Roderick had taught her last year during their increasingly rare study sessions.

“EBUBLIO!” A very large unpoppable bubble emerged from her wand. Now she just had to hold it long enough for them all to get away. OK. She could do that. Definitely. -She couldn’t-

“GO! Now! Get a Professor or another member of staff! Heck even a Sixth or Seventh Year would do!!”

The little ones looked at her gratefully and rushed out of there.

Harry looked back once before he ran from the room “We’ll get help Miss. Don’t worry!”

As she heard them running away Rose smiled. Her brother had just spoken to her for the first time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry ran as fast as he could scanning the corridors for professors or prefects as he went. The girl that had saved them was in danger and Harry could not let her get hurt, or worse die. Not for him. Not for them. Harry had a feeling that he, Ron and Hermione would be fast friends after this experience. As they grew closer and closer to the Great Hall, they had ended up running towards Harry slowly grew more panicked. They had seen no one thus far. He was terrified for the Gryffindor girl who seemed to be only a few years older than him. Maybe 14 or 15.

They burst into the Great Hall breathing heavily. No professors. Oh God no.

But there was the entirety of Slytherin House standing staring at them, wands aimed at the door still. Harry swallowed his pride. She did say any Sixth or Seventh Year, right?

“There’s a fourth year stuck in the girl’s bathroom with the troll in a charm! Please. I don’t think she can hold it much longer. She saved us. PLEASE. I know that our Houses are rivals but she might die!”

Harry took in the silence in horror. Please. They had to help.

A tall boy with curly black hair and ice blue eyes stepped forward.

“I’ll sort this out.” He turned back to the rest of Slytherin “Continue guarding the hall”

“Show me there.” He said sternly to Harry.

“Thank you. Yes. Follow me.”

Harry started running. To his surprise Ron and Hermione (still in shock) ran after them. Harry supposed that Ron wouldn’t like to be left alone with the entirety of Slytherin House.

As they reached the doorway the Slytherin told them to stay back and alert any teachers they saw to the situation.

Harry didn’t hear what happened next but when the teachers arrived and Harry followed them into the bathroom. Well. The troll was dead, decapacitated even, the Gryffindor girl lay on the ground fainted from magical exhaustion. And perhaps most confusingly, the Slytherin was nowhere to be seen. The amount of points he, Ron and Hermione lost were nothing on what they, and particularly the older Gryffindor whose name was apparently Rose, gained for their heroics. Though they did each receive a week’s detention (with the exception of Hermione who hadn’t explicitly disobeyed the rules).


	6. Nicolas Flamel

4 November 1991

When Rose had woken up after the troll incident, she could hardly believe that she was alright. Dad had even hugged her in front of Madame Pomphrey he was so relieved. Of course, he obliviated the poor woman soon after but Rose hadn’t expected anything else. The last thing she remembered was fainting after hearing someone step back into the girl’s bathroom. That must have been wrong though since when Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived at the scene, she was the only one there and the dim-witted mountain troll had been killed quite brutally. The running theory was that in her desperation she had released a burst of accidental magic.

Rose wasn’t entirely sure it was true, but who was she to question it? Rose had had quite a few visitors over the past two days (magical exhaustion was taken very seriously after all so even after she’d woken up on the 2nd they’d kept her in for observation, she was going back to the dorms tomorrow though) as well as Dad’s visits in the evening after classes had finished, Jo and Audrey had come to see her twice and her baby brother and his two friends had come to thank and check on her once. Perhaps most shockingly were the early morning visits from Rod. Talking to him again gave her a sense of relief she couldn’t quite understand.

The first time he came he had simply said “I heard to took on a mountain troll” and she was just like “Yup”. It had been a rather awkward introduction but they’d quickly fallen into a comfortable silence as he gave her a book to read and started on his own textbooks. It was just as it used to be.

Although she’d quite enjoyed her time in the hospital wing, she couldn’t wait to be out of there.

She had dreams where she was sleeping in the bed forever.

The door to the hospital wing groaned open and the Granger girl, Hermione, walked in carrying a pile of books topped with some sweets. Rose was immediately suspicious. Even their apology hadn’t included sweets.

She sat them down on Rose’s bedside table before.

“Hello Rose! How are you? Will you be out soon?”

“Miss Granger. I’m alright. You? And yes, I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”

“Oh that’s wonderful. I’m fine thanks to you! Also, I have a quick question for you if you don’t mind.”

…and there it was.

“Fine. What is it?” she’d been stuck in bed for two days (and the www hadn’t been invented yet) she was a little grouchy.

Hermione looked a little nervous.

“I was just wondering if you knew anything about a man named Nicolas Flamel?”

Rose’s eyes widened in confusion. Why on earth were they looking into information about Nicolas Flamel of all people?

“You’re interested in alchemy? It’s a bit of an early start isn’t it?”

“He’s an alchemist!?”

“Of course. Most famous, or infamous one ever. Created an object that gives him and his wife immortality but refuses to share its recipe. Why do you ask?”

She hesitated before answering. Luckily Hermione Granger was an absolute goodie-two-shoes.

“Well, I overheard the name when I first went to Diagon Alley and was curious. He was made to sound rather important.”

Huh. Interesting.

“Well now you know.”

“Yes, if you’d excuse me? I have to chat with Harry and Ron.”

“Alright. Give them my best, would you?”

Hermione was already rushing out of the door.

Honestly had she been that odd when she was a first year? Strange girl.

Why did Rose have a sinking feeling.


	7. All I Want For Christmas

24 December 1991

It was Christmas. It was Christmas and Harry wasn’t cooking. Harry grinned. His time in Hogwarts had been amazing so far. He had proper friends for the first time ever in Ron and Hermione, and to some extent the older Gryffindor girl Rose (She was a bit odd though, she acted more like how Harry imagined an elder sister or mum would act than a friend). Though there were a couple of downsides, mainly Draco and his gang and the fact that they suspected that one of the professor’s; probably the Bat of the Dungeon, Snape, was trying to steal an artefact created by a one Nicolas Flamel. Said artefact could give one eternal life! That was a thing here!

Yes, wizarding Britain was very cool. Harry yawned and rose up in his bed. He and Ron had the Dorm to themselves with almost all of the Hogwarts population returning to their home’s for Christmas. The Weasleys were staying as their Mum and Dad were going with their little sister to visit one of their older brothers in Romania. Harry was incredibly surprised when he saw what lay at the foot of his bed. A pile of presents! Harry counted them as Dudley always had done. 1..2…3…8! Harry had 8 presents! He could hardly believe it. He’d never gotten any proper presents before, and certainly not this many!

“Happy Christmas," said Ron sleepily as Harry scrambled out of bed and pulled on his dressing gown.

"You, too," Harry replied. "Will you look at this? I've got some presents!” he said excitedly.

"What did you expect, turnips?" said Ron, turning to his own pile, which was a fair bit bigger than Harry's. Considering the size of even his immediate family that was easily explainable.

Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was _To Harry, from Hagrid_. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it - it sounded a bit like an owl.

The second parcel he picked up was medium sized and said that it was From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Harry wasn’t particularly hopeful about this one. However, as he opened it Harry was incredibly surprised to find a box which had inside of it cling film wrapped bunch of gingerbread men as well as possibly the most amazing photo Harry had ever seen. On the back of the photo was the label Christmas 1980. And on it Harry saw 9 people, including 2 babies and a toddler. Harry recognised Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon right away, though Aunt Petunia looked much healthier in this photo. The other 4 adults included two old people and a young man and woman. The woman’s hair was bright red and her eyes green. Harry knew. That was his Mum. Which meant that the baby in the other man’s arms, his Dad’s arms, was him. Harry couldn’t stop staring at them. His family. His Mum was so beautiful holding the little girl who looked so much like her, Harry suspected that that was Aunt Rose. Harry had to stop himself from crying.

“Nice photo, why isn’t it moving? What else do you have?” Ron said

Harry gathered himself together. “Muggle photos don’t move” pocketing it tenderly Harry moved on to the next present. Ron said that the one he picked up was a presen from him and his family as well as another. They were a hand-knitted sweater in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge. Harry grinned. Lady Weasley had made these especially for him.

"Every year she makes us a sweater," said Ron, unwrapping his own, "and mine's always maroon."

"That's really nice of her," said Harry, trying the fudge, which was very tasty. His next present also contained sweets - a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. Then there was 3 left. Harry opened the rectangular one first, it was from _Rose E. S._. In it were two books, a potions one and one called _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._ Rose was such a bookworm. No wonder Hermione liked her so much. To be fair Harry definitely needed all the help he could get in potions. He’d have to thank her the next time he saw her.

Harry’s next to last present was from two girls called _Joanne and Julia FJ_. They’d sent him some broom polish and sugar quill. Harry decided not to eat the quills considering the fact he had no idea who the girls were.

There was only one parcel left. Harry picked it up and felt it. It was very light. He unwrapped it. Something fluid and silvery grey went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds.

Ron gasped. "I've heard of those," he said in a hushed voice, dropping the box of Every Flavour Beans he'd gotten from Hermione. "If that's what I think it is - they're really rare, and really valuable."

"What is it?" Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material.”

"It's an invisibility cloak," said Ron, a look of awe on his face.

"I'm sure it is - try it on!" Harry threw the cloak around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell. "It is! Look down!" Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection looked back at him, just his head suspended in mid-air, his body completely invisible. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection vanished completely.

"There's a note!" said Ron suddenly. "A note fell out of it!"

Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words: _Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Happy Christmas to you._

There was no signature. As Harry was staring at the note Ron was preoccupied by the cloak.

"I'd give anything for one of these," he said. "Anything. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Harry. He felt very strange, who had sent the cloak? Had it really once belonged to his father? Before he could say or think anything else, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George Weasley bounded in. They went to the Christmas feast together. Honestly it was the most spectacular thing he’d ever seen or eaten.

Harry then proceeded to have the happiest Christmas ever. When evening came a thought came over him. They should really try to find out more about Flamel. See what other things he created. And what better way to do that than to sneak into the restricted section with his new cloak?

As Harry was rushing away from Filch around an hour later the thought crossed his mind that Hermione and Rose were going to kill him. Viciously.

Harry managed to get away from Filch and Snape by ducking into a narrow corridor and then into a room. Looking around it seemed that the room was an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned paper bin -but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

His panic fading now that there was no sound of Filch and Snape, Harry moved nearer to the mirror, wanting to look at himself but see no reflection again. He stepped in front of it. He had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding far more furiously than when the book had screamed - for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror. There he was, reflected in it, white and scared-looking, and there, reflected behind him, were at least ten others. Harry looked over his shoulder -- but still, no one was there. Or were they all invisible, too? Was he in fact in a room full of invisible people and this mirror's trick was that it reflected them, invisible or not? He looked in the mirror again. A woman standing right behind his reflection was smiling at him and waving. It was the same woman in Aunt Petunia photo. His Mum. They were his family. Harry stared enraptured. He didn’t know why he could see them in this mirror and honestly, he didn’t care. In fact, Harry only had one major question.

Why was Rose in there?


	8. To be a Lord

25 May 1992

It was 1 am and Roderick was still reading. Roderick was not even a full year into his NEWTs and he already felt like he was a dead man walking. The stress of the NEWTs was not even the worst part though, Roderick could easily live off of his House’s money alone after all, with no need for a job. Outside House Lestrange’s seat on the Wizengamot and in the Lords. Roderick’s Uncle Lucius’ refusal to sit in the Lord’s honestly bemused him. Of course, taking up such a seat would require accepting muggles as equals in voting, something his Uncle had always disagreed with, Roderick was often inclined to believe the same. However, a seat in the Lords afforded an increase in both prestige and more importantly power. To refuse to take it was un-Slytherinlke. That being said, the Noble House’s seats in the House of Lords had appeared to have been forgotten over time. While all 50 Noble Wizarding Houses were allocated a seat in the Lords, as far as Roderick knew less than half actually took those seats.

Honestly. They were all governed by the same Government. They all were subjects of The Light Queen, though only wizards were also subject to her counterpart The Dark King. As absentee as they both were in the world, not even intervening during the Voldemort’s War. Wizards needed to move for better representation in the House of Commons if they wanted the Ministry of Magic to improve. For Roderick this was a fact as immoveable as the loyalty he felt to his King. He had met him over the summer last year, in attendance of his wedding. His attendance had shocked everyone. The man hadn’t been seen or heard of since Grindelwald’s rising. The man was…he oozed power. More power than Dumbledore and all the other professors combined. Roderick couldn’t imagine why anyone would even think to betray him. It would be suicide, he was sure.

His family would kill him if they ever found out he held such views, such was their loyalty to Dark Lord Voldemort. That was what had him stressed. Soon he would have to hide his looming comings and goings to and from the Palace of Westminster. A place overrun with muggles. His family would ostracise him if he wasn’t clever about it. And that wasn’t even taking into account his…feelings… for Rosie. A half-blood at best. Nor the inevitable rebirth of Voldemort. He would return. All of the Dark Lord’s followers knew it. And feared it. Unless they resided in Azkaban of course. And Roderick would not be one of his sheep. Unlike his family.

The door to the common room swung open.

_Speaking of family_

Draco ran in. The fear on his cousin’s face was incredibly concerning. Roderick stood prepared. Only to be barrelled into by his distressed baby cousin. Blubbering incoherently. It was so out of character for him. Roderick hugged him tight before crouching down to the kid’s level. Draco continued his incoherent cries.

“Breathe Dray. In and out.” Gods above Roderick was out of his comfort zone.

Slowly Draco began to calm down

“We..Detention…Forest…THING!!”

_Eh?_

“Sentences please Draco.”

“We were in the forbidden forest for detention.”

_The forbidden fucking forest!? What the fuck was wrong with this school??! They were fucking 11-year olds!!_

“And me and Potter”

“Lord Potter and I.”

Draco rolled his eyes “Lord Potter and I came across this…thing”

Roderick raised an eyebrow in question.

“I was a dark figure and it…it was drinking a unicorn’s blood.”

_Fuck. That couldn’t be good._

“Assuming you ran,” Draco nodded “what happened to Lord Potter.”

Draco wailed. “I left him behind!!! I killed Harry Potter!!!”

Draco fell to his knees a blubbering mess.

_Well. Hopefully that little bit wasn’t true. They’d have more than a little mess to clean up if it was._

After Draco fainted in exhaustion Roderick took him to his bed and tucked him in, being careful not to wake his dormmates. Roderick found no sleep that night, lying awake in bed worrying.


	9. End of 1991-1992 School Year

5 July 1992

When news had broken earlier that morning of her little brother’s escapades alongside his friends and the death of Professor Quirrell Rose hadn’t believed it. No, not until she saw her baby brother lying unconscious along with his Weasley friend had she believed it. Rose had spent hours sitting by his bedside with Hermione before being summoned away by Dad under the guise of a detention.

Being away from him only made Rose worry more though, instead of focusing looking for signs he was going to wake up her mind was able to wander onto greater worries. Not only was she thinking about the fact that her baby brother lay unmoving in the hospital wing. No, now she was also considering the broader implications. How Voldemort’s spirit had managed to get into the school undetected for instance, or even worse, why he was allowed to remain if the Headmaster new about him. In the long run though, the most concerning thing for Rose was the fact that Harry was very obviously a Gryffindor. And one that got himself into horrible situation.

Rose had a sinking feeling that those situations might get progressively worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7 July 1992

Only two days later the young Lord Potter awoke to a school even more polarised in their opinion of him than it had been before.

This situation only got worse during the End-of-term feast, when the Headmaster decided, after awarding the House Cup to Slytherin, to award numerous last-minute points to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the young Longbottom Heir.

Slytherin was rightfully outraged and on could almost feel their disdain for the recognised Leader of the Light-side grow exponentially.

Rose was almost overcome with dread for the years to come.

Meanwhile, Roderick Lestrange sneered in disdain and Harry Potter cheered alongside almost all of Gryffindor, supported by many students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

Rose Evans, Percival Weasley and a number of the seventh years were the sole exceptions to this.

The 1991-1992 school year had ended with the most blatant display of Anti-Slytherin sentiment seen since the wartime years.


End file.
